Blower for forges



(No Model.)

J. GILLHAM, Jr. BLOWER FOR FORGES, EURNAGBS, e0.

Patented Dec. 31, 1895.

UNTTED STATES PATENT EEicE.

JOIIb.T GILLHAM, JR., OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

BLOWER FOR FORGES, FURNACES, 84.0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,178, dated December 31, 1895.

Application led August 4, 1894.

To @ZZ whom it 11i/tg concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN GILLHAM, Jr. ,a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blowers for Forges, Furnaces, &c.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is, iirst, in a forge or furnace to interinix gases under varying degrees of pressure with the products of combustion; second, to impel an artiiicial Vcurrent of compressed air through the draftpassage of a forge or furnace and intermix the air under pressure with the products of combustion.

My invention further consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, such as will iirst be fully described, and speciiically pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a portable forge, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a broken detail plan view of the bed of the forge, showing the airpressure chamber for the compressed and heated air and the fire-surface or grate. Fig 3 is a broken detail view in vertical section of the bottom of the forge, taken upon the line :rx of Fig. 2, showing also the air-compressing chamber in section and the inlet and discharge jet-pipe for the compressed air.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

In carrying out my invention and referring to the drawings, A represents a portable forge, supported upon the legs B B. rlhe bowl O of the forge is of the usual construction, being oval in form and having a iiat bottom or bed c.

In the bottom of the bowl O is a circular opening c', which in size is made to correspond with the desired area of fire-surface, and in this instance is nearly three inches in width. The opening c is near one end of the bowl O and at an equal distance from the opposite sides.

' Beneath the opening c/ and attached rigidly to the under side portion of the bottom c of the Serial No. 519,509. (No model.)

bowl O are the respective chambers F. F for the heated and compressed air, the construction of which is as follows: The sides of the chamber F consist of a spherical hollow casting or receiver f, to the upperand outer side of which is cast intergral with the shell f a circular upwardly-extended collar j, the inside diameter of which corresponds with the opening c in the bottom c of the bowl O.

To the outer side portion of the collar f and flush with the upper edge of said collar is cast a circular flange f 2, which is perforated to receive the bolts f3, which secure the flanges to the bottom of the bowl O of the forge.

Within the collar f is a diaphragm f "l, which is formed by the apex or top of the shell f, said portion being flattened or extended horizontally from one side of the collarto the other.

In the diaphragm f4 and centrally from the inner side of the collar f' is a circular opening f5. In the lower part of the shell f, in a vertical line with the opening f5 in the diaphragm f4, is a screw-threaded opening f6. In the opening f5 of the diaphragm f4 is fitted closely and air-tight the upper end of a draftpipe Gr, which extends withinthe chamberF of the shell f, and the lower end i's screwthreaded upon its outer side and fitted to the screw-threaded opening fin the lower part of the shell f and extends a short distance beyond the outer side portion of said shell.

The upper end of the pipe G extends a short distance above the upper side of diaphragm f4, and around said end of said pipe and within the sides o f the collar f is fire-clay c, the surface of which inclines from the upper side of the bottom c of the bowl C around the opening c downwardly to the upper end of the draft-pipe G, thus forming a cone-shaped chamber E, extending around the inner side of the collar f'. Above the chamber E is a fire-grate II, which is provided with a circular lia-nge h, which is secured by the screwbolts 7L' to the upper side of the bottom c of the bowl O.

To the outer side portion of the bowl C, near the line of the bottom c and at the end farthest removed from the grate I I,is secured a horizontally-extended bracket I. To said bracket is IOO secured the upper cylinder-head of the aircompressing pump K, the .lower endof the pump extending a considerable distance below the line of the bottom of the bowl C. In the pump K is a piston-rod k. Upon the upper edge of the bowl C, directly above the bracket l, is mounted a standard L, upon the upper end of which is a lever Z, the end of which opposite the handle Z is pivotally attached to the piston-rod 7c.

To the side of the cylinder K, near the upper cylinder-head, is connected oneendof an air-conducting pipe 7a', which extends al short distance in the direction of and beneath the bottom c of the forge. To the same side of` the cylinder K,near the lower cylinder-head, i is connected anair-conductingpipe k2. Each outer en d of the pipe 7o 7a2 is provided with, elbows k 700, which connect with a T-jointl kx. In the spherical shell f, and inline with the diameter of said shell and inthe side to-w` ward the pump K, is a screw-threaded open-1` ing f7, and in the other side of said shell is a screw-threaded opening f8. E

To 4the `T-joint kx, which extends `from the air-pump K, is connected one end of a pipe; k3, the other end of which pipe is screw threaded and extends in thedircction of the@` spherical shell f a short distance and isthen bent downwardly to a position in a linei horizontal with and iitted within the screw-i threaded opening f7 in the shell f. To the other screwthreaded opening f8 in the shell: fis connected the screw-threaded end 'm of a discharge-pipe M, the other end of which pipe extends a short distance horizontally from; said shell f and is then bent in a downward direction a considerable distance below the `line of the lowerportion of the spherical shell fand thence extended to a position directly beneath the opening in the lower end of the draft-pipe G in the shell f, to which end is iitted an elbow m. `In the elbow m 4is iitted a short piece of pipe mwhich is Vscrew-threaded its entire length. To the pipe mQisiitted one end` of an interiorly-threaded pipe m3, the ex- 3 ierior portion of which pipe is screw-threaded. Around pipe m3 isfitted a sleeve m4, which is screw-threaded upon its inner side. `In the upper end of the sleeve m4 is fitted thelower end of a nipple 'm5, the upper end of which nippleis contracted in width and closed together so as to reduce the size of the opening on in a very small degree, so that the air will ascend the piperG in a small jet.

The fire-surface may be increased in extent by increasing the length or the angle of inclination of the sides of the chamber E, the heated air becoming more intenselyhot when acted upon bythe compressed air, and in the chamber E at the terminal of the drafttube the jet of compressed air which passes through a column of normal air expands and in tensiiies the fire uponthe grate.

In the opera-tion of my improved blower the iire is iirst obtained uponthebed of the forge in the `usualmannerand theignitedcoal distributed over the grate lI, the'incipient draft of air through the draft-pipe G being such as to feed the fire until the heat and flame are desired for melting, tempering, or cementing metals. YVhen the higher degrees of heat are desired the lever Z is operated and the compressedair in the pump K is forced into the compressed-air chamber F in the shell f and thence into the pipe M, and a jet of the compressed air is forced throughthe draft-pipe G 1into the chamber E beneath the grate H. The air beneath the grate l-l is previously heated from the radiant heat of the fire and thus forms a natural current of airinthe pipe G. Now by placing the nipple mofithe compressed-airconducting pipe m3 at a point distantfromithe end of the draft-tube, within a neutral point at which no effect is produced upon the air in the draft-tube, the small jet of air delivered from the nipple meets a resistance of the air outside of the Vdraft-tube, and in forcing 1 through it tothe column of normal air within the draft-tube a gyrating movement `is communicated to the `j et of compressed air which extends to the grate, which grate never becomes het, from the fact that the higher lthe compression the stronger the blast. Then the compressed air is impelled within the chamber yE a suction is also caused within the pipe `G of great intensity and the heated air is increased in volume from t-he combustion of the fuel, and the draft of air through the pipe G creates a pressure in thepipe G which expands in chamber `E with great power and extends equally over the grate H, the formation of the sides of the chamberbeing such as to prevent dead-spaces in which a vacuum would occur and thus reduce the outward pressure of the air in said chamber. The effect of the pressure of the air in the chamber `E is to cause the rapideombustion of Athe fuel and a lia-me of intense degree of heat, theatmospheric oxygen which burns inthe ehamberl vbeing replenished through the pipe G. The

`gle air-compresser can be employed from which the-individual forges will be supplied Vby suitable air-conducting pipes.

Having fully described my invention, what I now claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, ism- IOO I'Io

In a blower for forges, &c., an apparatus ing in the lower end of the draft tube and a for transmitting compressed air consisting of suitable source of compessed air for the pura receiver having a chamber at one end, a pose described. diaphragm7 a draft tube extending through v 5 said receiver and diaphragm, an air conduct- Witnesses:

ing` pipe having a jet opening extending in S. L. C. HAssON, the line of direction of and beneath the open- EDWARD G. REYNOLDS.y

JOHN GILLHAM, JR. 

